Snell deals in Padres 2-0 shutout of Mets
Credit: AP Photo
Petco Park- San Diego, California
Blake Snell was the first player acquired by the San Diego Padres following the 2020 season in their attempt to become a true championship contender.
Snell, who pitched like a championship pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, looked like a shell of himself in his first two months of the season. In Snell’s first start of June, he threw seven shutout innings of one-hit ball in by far his best start as a Padre.
“It’s been a build-up, and I know that he’s been wanting to have one like this for the team and obviously himself,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler said. “Tonight, he was on the attack throwing first-pitch strikes.”
Despite Blake Snell’s dominance over the last three seasons, Snell completing seven innings is a rare feat. He last did so on April 2, 2019. Snell had made 43 starts between his last seven-inning outing and Friday.
Not only did Snell have his best game as a Padre, but he added his signature moment as well. In the seventh inning, Francisco Lindor broke up Snell’s no-hitter with a lead-off single to left field. The single turned into a “triple” after Tommy Pham misplayed the ball and Lindor hustled his way to third base. Snell struck James McCann, got Pete Alonso to pop up, and then struck out Brandon Drury to strand Lindor at third. After he struck out Drury, Snell let out a ton of emotion with a big yell.
☢️ Zilla goes nuclear ☢️#HungryForMore pic.twitter.com/8Xq1aA8M56
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 5, 2021
The Padres needed Snell to not allow any runs because the offense did not perform, only scoring one run while Snell was on the mound. They, fortunately, added an insurance run in the seventh after drawing two two-out walks.
Joey Lucchesi, whom the Padres traded to the New York Mets this past offseason, kept the Mets in the ball game 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball. It ultimately didn’t matter how many runs Lucchesi allowed, as the Padres shutout the Mets 2-0.
Lucchesi’s one run he allowed came in the first inning when his former teammate Manny Machado took him deep for his seventh home run of the year.
Mannyball Mode 🎮#HungryForMore pic.twitter.com/i8ZSeU2QHW
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 5, 2021
Machado also got the other run in for San Diego when he drew a walk in the seventh inning.
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Saturday will be a big test for the Padres. The Mets will send Jacob deGrom to the mound, where he will look to continue his dominance. deGrom is in one of the greatest stretches in baseball history as a starting pitcher, winning the last two Cy Young Awards in a full season, finishing in third place for the award in 2020s shortened season, and boasting a .71 ERA in 51 innings so far this year. His dominance is nothing new to the Padres. In 57 1/3 career innings against the Padres, deGrom owns a 1.57 ERA. However, the Mets, for some reason, never like to score runs when starts, so he is 4-3 against the Padres and only 4-2 this year.
Joe Musgrove will get the start against the Mets and try to slay the best pitcher in baseball.
The first pitch is at 7:10 PT, which is later than most Saturday games at Petco Park.
Dominic is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism. He also is the producer and co-host of the “Padres EVT Podcast.”